Why I haven’t fired service chiefs, acted on IG – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari says the performances of the
service chiefs may be disappointing but he will continue to take responsibility
for their actions.

This is as the President stated that he would soon decide
whether to extend or terminate the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police,
Ibrahim Idris, who is due for retirement.

Buhari said this during an interview with Arise TV which was
monitored by our correspondent.

The President said having been a military administrator,
minister and head of state, he would not make any hasty decisions.

He said removing the service chiefs in the middle of
the fight against insurgency might not be the right decision.

Buhari said, “While fighting insecurity, if you remove
the service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, if you don’t wait
for an appropriate time to do it, then you create competition within the
service.

“There are many ambitious people waiting within the service
but only one man can be the Chief of Army Staff, only one man can be
Chief of Air Staff, only one man can be the IG. Don’t forget that it was
this administration that appointed them.

“I didn’t know them personally. I followed records and I
think I picked the best. Of course, their performances may be
disappointing but I accept responsibility for not changing them.”

Asked whether he was considering extending the
IG’s tenure, the President burst into laughter, mocking those who had
threatened to take action against him if he refused to let Idris
retire.

Buhari said, “I don’t think I am afraid of him. And I
don’t think I have asked him to mount roadblocks in a place such that
I’ll lose revenue (if he goes). But I’ll take action.”

On why those running the nation’s security architecture are
mainly from the North, Buhari said loyalty counts in the appointment of service
chiefs in the country.

About 14 out of the nation’s 17 security agencies are being
headed by northerners, with the majority of them appointed by Buhari.

While addressing the issue on Monday night, Buhari said
factors like state of origin were not important when appointing service chiefs.

He said, “I know there is a quota system, but then, if
you’re a field op (operative), you have to be very careful, especially in the
military where I served for about 20 years.

“You don’t promote people by their state of origin. If you
do it, you’re going to get the shock of your life in the sense that the morale
will go down so much that the military will become so inefficient.”

The President added, “If you are in charge, you have to be
careful of who you put in charge.

“You have to be sure of his loyalty, you have to be sure of
his or her commitment to the administration and their acceptability by the
commands, and that will be based on the person’s training and experience. It’s
a very sensitive issue.”

Buhari also hinted that the Peoples Democratic Party
might have a hand in the rising insecurity as the opposition party had
looted the nation’s resources and had the means to do anything to discredit his
government.

He said, “I am not defending our lack of security but you
know after 16 years of the PDP, with the resources I have just mentioned to
you, they had enormous resources at their disposal and they will do anything to
use the resources at their disposal to discredit this administration.”

He dismissed the suggestions that his
government marginalised Igbo people.

Buhari said, “Somebody made an observation that I was not
patronising the Igbo from the South-East. I told him that when I won the
election, I studied the amount of votes I got from all the geopolitical zones.

“I said I got 198,000 from the whole of the South-East,
which virtually any local government can give me. But I appointed ministers of
foreign affairs, labour, industries and investment, mines and technology; these
four, I never knew them from Adam. Ministers of state from seven states of the
North are under these ministers. How fair do you want me to be?”

He challenged the media to expose his wife, Aisha, or his
son, Yusuf, if they were found to have benefitted from government deals.

The President said, “It is a very unfair allegation against
my integrity. I don’t think… anyway you are in a position to find out and if
you do so, I don’t care. Publish it even if my son or my wife has a
company or they are involved in deals with customs and excise and
so on, bringing in illegal goods or whatever; I challenge you to do that.”

On the former Governor of Akwa Ibom,
Godswill Akpabio, whose N100bn probe went silent after he joined the All
Progressives Congress last year, Buhari said he wasn’t aware of the
development.

He said, “I don’t think Akpabio, when he moved to the APC,
that I said he should be left alone. I cannot remember asking the EFCC, the
ICPC, the police or anybody to spare any corrupt person or incompetent person.

“I haven’t done it and I challenge you to expose any such
thing.”

Buhari disagreed with the unemployment statistics which
state that over 20 million youths of employable age are idle.

In the meantime, Pandemonium broke out on Tuesday during the
inauguration of the campaign of the All Progressives Congress at the Sky Power
Ground, Oba Akinjobi Road, Ikeja, Lagos, as hoodlums invaded the venue and
engaged in a supremacy battle.

Among those who reportedly sustained gunshot injuries during
the clash were the Group Political Editor of The Nation, Emmanuel Oladesu;
a correspondent with New Telegraph, Temitope Ogunbanke; and a cameraman
with Ibile Television, Abiodun Yusuf.

A leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers,
Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, was also stabbed during the clash.

The rally, which started around 12.30pm, was said to have
ended abruptly.

It was gathered that popular fuji musician, Alhaji
Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, aka K1 De Ultimate, was on the stage thrilling the
audience when a gunshot was fired.

Confusion thereafter ensued as the hoodlums, suspected to be
supporters of MC Oluomo and Mustapha Adekunle, aka Seigo,
another union leader, invaded the arena with guns, daggers, cutlasses and other
weapons, leading to a free-for-all.

Hoodlums were seen attacking one another with machetes as
many fled for safety.

Continuous gunshots could be heard as the state Governor,
Akinwunmi Ambode, delivered his speech and called for support for the flag
bearers of the party in the elections.

Amidst the noise, Ambode told the crowd that the police were
in control of the situation.

However, things degenerated as the gunshots continued.

The governor was later escorted out of the venue and was
joined by the Deputy Governor, Idiat Adebule, and the APC governorship
candidate, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Sanwo-Olu was unable to present his speech. He hurriedly
gave the closing remarks.

It was gathered that policemen later engaged the hoodlums in
a gun battle, as people ran helter-skelter.

A reporter with the News Agency of Nigeria said
some people were dispossessed of their phones, money and other valuables by
pickpockets and other criminals.

A large number of party faithful were also reported to have
trekked to their various homes due to the heavy vehicular traffic caused by the
violence.

Workers with the Lagos State Ambulance Services reportedly
conveyed no fewer than eight stabbed victims to a hospital.

The police spokesperson, CSP Chike Oti, confirmed the
incident.

He said, “Two suspects have been arrested.”

He noted that the clash was started by Seigo, who had
been declared wanted by the command.

Oti said MC Oluomo was rushed to the EKO Hospital, Ikeja, where he was recuperating.

Maritime First Newspaper is a liberal Nigeria maritime online news aggregator and blog. The site offers news, blogs, and original content that covers maritime, politics, business, entertainment, health and safety, interviews, popular media, and local news.
For Inquires: 08023148914, 08069749755